“Delhi Boys Don't Like”- Digvesh Rathi Fires Warning To Nitish Rana Before IPL Clash

Rishabh Pant Digvesh Rathi Nitish Rana. Image Credits: AFP

Digvesh Rathi catapulted himself to nationwide prominence on his IPL debut last year for the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Having played 13 of his team’s 14 matches of the IPL 2025 season, the wily leg-spinner bagged 14 wickets.

While those figures may appear modest at first glance, some of Rathi’s victims were Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Jos Buttler, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel among others. The cricketer added all these names in his ‘notebook’, a cheeky yet controversial celebration that saw him theatrically jot down his dismissals, stirring both intrigue and debate across the league.

Ahead of his team’s opening match of the IPL 2026 season, the 26-year-old has seemingly fired a warning shot to his impending opponents, Delhi Capitals, particularly aimed at DPL rival Nitish Rana.

Digvesh Rathi reflects ‘winning mindset’ of Delhi boys

While speaking on ESPNCricinfo ahead of IPL 2026, Digvesh Rathi said that he has been given a free-hand by his LSG captain Rishabh Pant for the upcoming season, with the skipper’s only condition being that the youngster should not get himself banned.

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Rathi said “The only thing Rishabh bhai and the management have told me is 'you continue being your most authentic self, but just don't get banned.'”

Born in Delhi and representing the nation’s capital in Indian domestic cricket, the 26-year-old reflected the ‘winning mindset’ of all ‘Delhi boys’. He added that he has adapted himself to the rigors of IPL cricket, and his training in small Delhi grounds helped him become successful in the IPL.

He said “Delhi boys don't like to lose. I adjusted quickly to the rigors of IPL cricket because of my background in Delhi cricket. Grounds in Delhi are not big and the most dangerous batters in the IPL are from Delhi itself, so when I started to play, those batters would whack us a lot, often scoring 400-500 runs in 40 overs.”

Rathi warns DPL rival Nitish Rana ahead of Capitals match

Digvesh Rathi is also set to cross paths with Nitish Rana through LSG’s upcoming first match of the IPL 2026 season against the Delhi Capitals. It is worth noting that both Rathi and Nitish Rana had a run-in with each other during a Delhi Premier League (DPL) 2025 match last year.

The incident occurred when Digvesh said a few words, to which he received an angry response from the Delhi-based batter.

Rathi, who was also handed a one-match ban back in IPL 2025, teased the return of his controversial celebration ahead of his re-match with Rana.

The LSG spinner said “That was my first year and I didn't know the expectations. I didn't intend to disrespect anyone then and neither do I want to now. But nobody can stop me from celebrating. If a batter can celebrate after scoring a hundred by putting their helmet on top of their bat and so on, then I can celebrate too.”

LSG to face Capitals to start off IPL 2026

Digvesh Rathi and the rest of his LSG teammates will now go up against the Delhi Capitals in match number five of the IPL 2026 season. The match will be hosted by the iconic Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Wednesday, April 1. As per the schedule, the action is slated to commence from 7:30 PM IST onwards.

With tensions simmering, all eyes will be on Digvesh Rathi as he aims to translate his bold words into match-winning deeds for the LSG franchise.

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